...The Irish Language INTRODUCTION What I am going to talk about in this essay is how the Irish Language played a huge part in the development of Ireland throughout the 20th century.I picked this topic because I think that the Irish Language was a key element of Irish nationalism. The Irish Language was part of Irelands separate identity, and we the Irish back in the day felt that its revival was vital if the country were to successfully pursue sovereignty. That’s why I picked this topic because I think this is very interesting and would like to learn more about the Irish language. MAIN BODY In 1893, The Gaelic League was founded with the aim of reviving the Irish language. Successful Irish Governments sought to re-establish the Irish Language as the native tongue. In 1924, the Department of Education began its work to co-ordinate a comprehensive primary and secondary school system. The most important aim was to increase participation in education and to make sure that the people of Ireland gained the basic skills of reading and writing. Gaelic became a badge of identity which distinguished the Irish from the British. The Cumann na nGeadheal Government sought to bring the language back into everyday life. One means of doing this was to translate Irish place names back into Gaelic. From 1922 onwards, signposts, addresses and maps were changed. By 1925, the civil service, Garda, armed forces and courts had all introduced Irish into their day to day affairs. In 1926 2RN and Radio...
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...The Irish Economy The Celtic Tiger years were very exciting and prosperous for those who resided in Ireland. There were lots of investments being made, people were very care free about where they put their money as long as there was some sort of short-term profit available. Employment was up from 1.1 million to 1.9 million jobs available, population increased by 15% from 1996 to 2005 and unemployment was at a mere 4.4%. One of the most astounding statistics was that Ireland’s GDP was the second highest per capita in the European Union, during the times of the Celtic Tiger (Dorgan 2006). All seemed as if Ireland was the first success story of the creation of the Eurozone until the crash. After the creation of the Eurozone, the goal was to help struggling economies to use the power of the Eurozone to create growth and during the Celtic Tiger years it seemed to be working. However, the Eurozone was not doing its job of overseeing the activities of the country of Ireland and let it slip through the cracks. After the crash, unemployment soared which was caused by the huge loss of jobs in the construction market and young workers began leaving Ireland again in hopes of finding jobs. As a result, private debt was high and people lost trust in Irish Banks. Any hope of growth in the Irish economy was lost due to high percentages of debt in all sectors including households, financial and non-financial institutions, and within the government. Along with a complete loss of trust in the actions...
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...Migrating to Canada for the Irish emigrants was not something they did for leisure reasons, but more of a life or death decision put upon them. In the 19th century, England made Ireland a part of Great Britain rather than just a colony. Ireland became greatly over-populated, having a population of 8 million people. The agriculture and production of grain became extremely difficult due to the vast amount of people, and something needed to be changed. A new phenomenon spread across the country of switching from a grain based diet to potato, which took up way less room and was also highly nutritious. This worked wonders for the Irish until a huge disaster hit all: an airborne fungus that destroyed all the crops for several years. This left Ireland with the biggest ultimatum: to either stay there and most likely be faced with death, or to follow the quest for the new world in British North America. This phenomenon was embellished greatly by the British Empire so they could “free up land and lessen long-term financial obligation.” The British took full advantage of this famine, and continued to send the Irish off on vessels to Canada, making it our problem. The sick Irish continued to get sick, and the horrible conditions of the emigrant ships did not help. There were hundreds of poor people of all ages dying. The poor conditions included: lack of light, no clean air where they breathed in the diseases, sick people everywhere along with the rough immigration journey with a lack...
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...The Fighting Irish: From Beginning to End-Fighting for Fun, Life, With a Big Heart Tanya Drummond Maryville University Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide information relating to Irish immigrants and Irish-American culture. Religious beliefs remain of importance to many Irish families, as well as traditional celebrations including St. Patrick’s Day. Linking alcohol and celebrations, Irish people are high risk for alcoholism. Furthermore, studies show that heart disease is the number one cause of death within this group of people, causing further alarm of the rampant use of alcohol. Healthcare providers have a duty to prevent further destruction of this jovial society by intervening when welcomed by family and those afflicted by alcohol. The Fighting Irish: From Beginning to End-Fighting for Fun, Life, With a Big Heart Today’s Irish population may not be quite as rowdy as once depicted. However, if provoked in the slightest, most likely the person doing the aggravating will soon find out why Irishmen have rightfully earned the nickname, “The Fighting Irish”. As an Irish descendant with the surname, McCollum, I can honestly attest to this part of the Irish temperament. Furthermore, Irishmen do not exclude their own family from violence either. A holiday with my family wouldn’t be normal without a few fist fights as the celebrations continue into the evening hours. When the fights are over, ill feelings released, and more Guinness is flowing we become...
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...Ian Fischer January 26, 2014 Paper #1 for Global Issues Irish Immigration Before and After the Potato Famine Globalization is to be defined as, “The worldwide movement toward economic, financial, trade, and communications integration,” according to BusinessDictionary.com. The immigration to the exponentially growing United States had been open to all types of ethnicities and cultures throughout the 18th and 19th Century, and along the North-Eastern coast, the people of Ireland were settling. I chose this group and time frame, because I believe it represents globalization at its finest. Immigrants from Ireland had been immigrating to the United States before the Potato Famine, but it had been just the wealthy population of Ireland, because they could afford to start a new life in America. After the Potato Famine in the 1840’s, the majority of the immigrants were the surviving peasants of Ireland, which I will need to research why that was. As I searched for a background source by looking up Irish Immigration to the United States, I found a very informing and reliable website named Irishamericanjourney.com. After I read through this website, I was able to understand their culture and the reasoning behind why they left their country even before the Potato Famine, and how these Irish immigrants were accepted into American Culture and ideology. To find even more in depth information I used Google Scholar through the library’s database to explore what books and articles...
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...Background Theme in Irish History: Man of Aran By: Marvin Jean-Baptiste The story of Man of aran came from the last “200 years the Aran Islands have exercised a powerfully romantic fascination on the outside world which is without equal anywhere else in the country.” You were able to see the relaxing beach setting that took over by beach life but rough waves. I decide to watch the movie and get the good over view of the Irish lifestyle, which they picture from 1934. Robert J Flaherty directed man of aran. after taking trip to the location and giving his own direct of view of Irish living. “They were believed to contain the essence of the ancient Irish life, represented by a pure uncorrupted peasant existence centered around the struggle between man and his hostile but magnificent surroundings.” A man and his family living in a island that seem to be very quite and simple. The way of living seems to be surrounding with everything that had to do with the beach. Definitely from being on a island. The man of aran basically was documentary on the life of the Island people. “This film won international acclaim and explained in no small way why so many different nationalities walk the surface of Aran in their thousands.“ The movie showed a family living the simple life on a island fishing and growing crops of potatoes and handling a couple of farm animals. Everything looked peaceful and under control in beginning of the movie. As the movie processed you notice a heavy wave...
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...Appreciate Irish Heritage Introduction The Irish culture is rich in customs, beliefs, and practices with substantial significance in the current times. It also constitutes traditions, literature, music, art, language, legends, sport and cuisine associated with Irish people living in the United States. These aspects of the Irish heritage are not homogeneous among natives of Ireland because of cultural divides that exist between rural Irish and urban Irish, Protestants and Catholics, settled population and travellers, native population and immigrants as well as disparities in language among Irish people. As such, Irish heritage is diverse with different elements that vary depending on the specific area of origin or consideration. The vast flow of people from Ireland to America from 1740 to 1922 is attributable to the modern Irish history in the United States. During this time, about seven million people of Irish origin immigrated to North America. In the attempts to adjust to the demands or requirement of modern industrializing world, some adjustments were made on Irish culture and identity, both personal as well as national. The native Irish culture was linked with the American culture to form the Irish-American culture, a blend of both cultures. However, considerable aspects of the Irish culture are depicted in the practices, festivals, religion, and culture of the contemporary Irish communities living in the United States. Furthermore, several elements of this culture...
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...Irish Settlers in America The Irish immigrants faced prejudice, segregation, and discrimination. The Irish settlers are part of my heritage and the Ethnic group I chose for this essay. I had a very difficult time finding enough information for this assignment and I did not expect there to be so little information on this topic. I am not sure about the rest of my background but I have always been proud to be an Irish American descendent. That was until I read some of the ways they treated other immigrants in the new nation. Irish immigrants had a rough start in the United States, stuck in urban poverty and taunted by some of their neighbors. They and their descendants overcame the obstacles and prevailed (Kenny, 2008). Irish immigrants were not treated as bad as the African Americans were treated but were treated pretty closely. They did get a few extra benefits like being able to sell themselves as slaves instead of someone else selling you. As they arrived in American cities, they were crowded into districts that became centers of crime, vice, and disease and they commonly found themselves thrown together with free Negroes. Irish and African Americans fought each other and the police, socialized (and occasionally intermarried), and developed a common culture of the lowly (Barnett, Valla, and Williams). They also stated that ‘‘It is a curious fact,’’ wrote John Finch, an English Owenite who traveled the United States in 1843, ‘‘that the democratic party, and particularly...
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...Irish Dance: A Marvelous Dance Irish step dancing has existed since the 1700’s, over 300 years. Families in Ireland have passed down Irish step dance from generation to generation as a way of preserving their culture. While the meaning of the dance remains the same, the performance and showmanship has changed dramatically. From girls and boys with pale skin and natural hair to girls with fake tanned skin, huge curly wigs, and thousand dollar dresses and boys with fake tanned skin and outlandish outfits. Irish dance has become more of a spectacle—such as “Riverdance” and “Lord of the Dance.” Those dances are some of the most enjoyable and respected around the world. Over time this type of dance has taken on a life of its own and changed from traditional to modern. Despite the changes, however, this dance has clung to the meaning and history behind each intense movement keeping the tradition alive. Irish dance has such a strong response from those who are a part of the audience, teaching or dancing. It is so enthralling that in many ways it is sweeping the nations. Through schools where former dancers will teach the new comers and relay the traditions so they wont be lost in the past. This longing has guided the way for many dance schools throughout the world. The diversity of schools and teachers has lead to a more unique kind of dance. The different styles of the teachers and culture bleed through the movements and the school become products for that certain style of movement...
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...The Irish Immigrant Experience Multiculturalism for Clinical Psychologists PSY 6010 R. Paul Johnson Saybrook University Abstract Popular media typically portrays the myth of the Irish-American experience as the story of starving paupers fleeing Ireland in old broken wooden ships and arriving in some unwanted land, such as Boston or New York. Always remaining in their dockside slums, working dockside as longshoremen until they were able to become police officers. This same myth continues to hold that their descendants continue to live in three storied houses within ethnic ghettos where they have big parades of St. Patrick’s Day. The reality of Irish immigration to America holds a much more complex story. This paper will provide some historical context of the experiences of Irish emigration as well as the immigrants themselves. The trauma associated with early emigration has had a lasting effect on this ethnic group which will also be evaluated herein. The Irish Immigrant Experience It was during the great famine of the 1840’s in Ireland that tens of thousands began to immigrate to America in hope of creating a better life for themselves and their families. Many fled to the Boston area and within one year Boston’s Irish population grew from 30,000 to nearly 100,000 ( Gordon, 1964). Upon arriving to the United States many of the new immigrants set out to find a job immediately, a majority of them finding positions as servants and in fact during this time...
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...ETH/125 | Irish American Immigration | | | 6/12/2011 | | Though an Irish immigrants life in Ireland was cruel was cruel. Immigrating to America was not any better. Many immigrated to America to escape poverty, disease, and English oppression, they would face if they stayed in Ireland. They set out in masses on crowded ships called coffin ships, because they were the last resting place for many who crossed the Atlantic Ocean towards the land of prosperity. (yourirish.com) Once the immigrants stepped ashore they were pointed and laughed at because of their appearance. (Gavin, 2000) They would face segregation immediately, faced to live in slums of the major cities. Their living quarters of the immigrants would often consisting of a one room apartment, with no windows or ventilation, having to share a bathroom with other tenants, even worse were those who lived in cellars and shanties. (www. Kinsella.org) Being unfamiliar with plumbing and running water, the Irish immigrants were considered bad for the neighborhood. These conditions would breed sickness and early death. Immigrant workers would work any job available. This would cause United States citizens to have to fight for jobs. Racism would breed from this, local establishments would place signs in front of their businesses, and in local job postings, which stated, “No Irish Need Apply”, and some even would state “NO DOGS, NO BLACKS, AND NO IRISH”. (Gavin, 2000) The Irish people set out...
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...1) Clubs to invite: UConn Irish Dance – offer free lessons during part of the night, bring soda bread. decorations (we have worked with them previously) Native American Cultural Programs Questions: Are you willing to participate? Do you have a dance team or art group or something else like that you are share with curious students? Do you have traditional decor or fashion you can bring? Do you have any traditional food someone in your group is good at making and would be willing to make for a large group? 2) Food – corn, beans, Irish soda bread, potatoes Make/buy – who can do what? Jackie: potatoes Ask Irish dance for soda bread (award winning) Ask NACP if they have any food to contribute 3) Talking points: Language Primarily spoken in cultures;...
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...April 2013 Irish Immigration and Nativism Immigration to the United States has shaped our country from its founding to the present day. The United States went through a large agricultural and industrial expansion in the 19th century and with that came a large wave of immigration from Western Europe. During this time Ireland’s potato crop became diseased, causing widespread famine and the country went through a period called the Great Hunger. These two factors were instrumental in the almost 3.5 million Irish that immigrated to American between 1820 and 1880. The Irish met with much adversity when they arrived here. A wave of nativism toward their religion, and also poverty made life difficult in the beginning. The Irish had faced adversity and oppression before, but their solidarity along with their strength and religious beliefs made it possible for them to find a better life by striving for success economically, politically and socially. Irish immigrants arrived here with very little education or skill set and jobs were hard to find. They came from poverty so they had little money or resources to start a business. Many of them did not want to return to farming because of their experience in Ireland. Women found jobs as maids, cooks, nannies or factory workers. Because of the country’s large industrial expansion many of the male immigrants worked long hard hours building bridges, railroad and canals for very low wages. Americans were not happy the Irish were taking...
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...today. In result of a poor harvest and a depression with the trade of linen in Ireland, Irish immigrants began flooding into the United States of America starting as early as 1729. When the American Revolution ended an estimated four hundred thousand Irish immigrants were living in America. During the sixty years...
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...Fact and Fiction of Irish Americans History of the Immigration Beginning almost 300 years ago Irish immigrants were among the first large groups of people to migrate to the New World. With years of wars, famine, and religious persecution in Ireland, these people came to America to build a new life. Not afraid of hard work the Irish came and built a life they could be proud of; although the Irish American believes that they have been victim of discrimination. NINA ‘No Irish Need Apply’ and WASP ‘White Anglo Saxon Protestant’ is and ingrained belief that the Irish American’s “remember” (Jenson, 2004). Another current issue is the unjust treatment of the Irish seeking political asylum in the United States (McElrath, 1997). The first Irish immigrants came in the 1580s to the Carolinas long before the founding of the United States of America. It is believed that possibly hundreds of thousands of Protestant Irish immigrated in these early years. This is contrary to the urban myth of the Irish Catholic American origins (Meagher, 2009). The next big migration of Irish to America was in the 1700s to 1820s. These immigrants assimilated easily into the American way of life as most prospered at a rate that could not have been conceived in Ireland. “Nearly half of General Washington’s continental arm, including 1492 officers and 22 generals, were of Irish descent” (American Immigration law Foundation, 2001, p. 1). Even with the influx of Irish throughout early history of America...
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